Residents donate to many relief efforts

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT)

Published
7:00 pm EST, Tuesday, January 4, 2005

Here's a look at what a handful of residents are doing to help.

�Wendy Grasso, a teacher from Danbury, said she gave $25 to the Red Cross. "I felt like it was the least we could do to help with everything that's happened," she said. "It's really devastating." Grasso said she also gives money to her church and sponsors a child, though she forgets through which charity.

�Sharon Milam, a teacher from Danbury, said she gave $20 to Save the Children after it called her last week soliciting donations. She said she regularly donates to Save the Children and similar groups when they ask for it. "They send me stuff in the mail and I generally send money," she said. She said she also gives to the Police Athletic League, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut, among others. "You name it, I give," she said. "I would hope that if I were in need there would be enough people that would care."

�Ethna Sullivan, a homemaker from Danbury, said she plans to give but has not yet decided to whom. "One of the radio shows said they have a list of charities that are legitimate, so we are going to pick one from there," she said. Sullivan said she thinks there are many groups that accept charitable donations and don't give the money to people in the disaster areas. "It's an outrage," she said. She had not yet decided how much she is planning to donate.

�Patricia Tarsi, a homemaker from Danbury, said she has not donated anything yet, but "If I do it'll probably be to UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund)." She said she chose UNICEF over other charities because "I think UNICEF makes better use of the money than any other organization."

�Lou Gioia, a contractor from Sherman, said he has not donated anything for tsunami relief yet. "I'm thinking about it but I want to be very careful about who I give the money to," he said. Gioia said he prefers to give to private charities that focus on children. He regularly donates money to children's hospitals and to a Native American school in Montana that relies on private donations.

�Tim Winkler, a Danbury man who works for the Army Reserve, said he donated money to AmeriCares but declined to say how much. Winkler said the Stamford-based charity had set up booths at Giant Stadium in New York during Sunday's game to solicit donations. "They need it. It's the least we can do in this country for those that have been devastated by this."